Today we hand out our final award winners for the Winnipeg Jets during the 2021 season and we finish this list by naming the Jets top forward and team MVP for this season.
We decided to give these two awards to one player who was top-five on the team points and when he was not in the lineup the Jets struggled.
This player was dynamic on all sides of the puck. He was reliable in scoring crucial goals and also played shutdown defense and shutdown opposing goal scorers.
Nikolaj Ehlers was the Winnipeg Jets Most Valuable Player and Top Forward during the 2021 season
It was apparent Ehlers’ value on this Jets’ roster when he missed the last nine games of the regular season due to injury and Winnipeg faltered in his absence.
In the nine games that Ehlers missed, the Jets posted a 3-6-0 record and they only picked up six out of a possible eighteen points. Those twelve missed points are the difference between finishing the season in second rather than third and getting home-ice advantage in the playoffs.
When he returned from injury in game three of the Jets first round series against the Edmonton Oilers, he picked up right where he left off and scored a crucial overtime winning goal to complete the comeback and put the Jets one game away from completing the sweep.
These stats show why Ehlers is our pick for their MVP from this season. When he was not in the lineup, the Jets were a completely different team, who struggled to pick up victories.
In 2021, the twenty-five-year-old had one of his best statistical seasons of his career. For the fifth straight season, he scored more than 20 goals and had his best points per game average as he averaged just under one point per game (0.98).
Not to mention he had 25 assists and put on a show when the Jets were on the man advantage with six powerplay goals.
Ehlers also was tied for the team lead with five game winning goals and was the player the Jets counted on in three-on-three overtime action with two overtime goals.
These stats are all outstanding, but Ehlers showed what a dynamic player he is during this season. Ehlers’ play in the defensive zone was second to none and he was rewarded for his efforts with a team-leading +15 plus/minus.
Ehlers was outstanding in every aspect of the game for the Winnipeg Jets and showed why he is the Jets’ top forward and most valuable player.
As the NHL season is coming to a close, get ready for the offseason by reading our article here that contains what to watch for during this offseason including key dates to keep an eye on!
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Do you agree that Nikolaj Ehlers was the Jets MVP and Top Forward? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats and Videos Provided by the NHL*